Onion Tart (not grain-free)

Today was a leisurely Friday for me, the first one I've had in more than 2 months. I felt like spending a bit of time in the kitchen since it was too hot here in Cairo to pander around outside. I've been reading Alice Waters' "The Art of Simple Food" and her onion tart recipe inspired me.


These recipes are slightly modified from Alice's recipes published in "The Art of Simple Food" (copyright 2007).

Tart/Pie Dough

(can be used for savory and sweet tarts)

Makes two 5 ounce balls of dough, enough for two 6 inch tarts or one 12 inch tart

Have measured:

• 1/4 cup ice-cold water

Place together in a food processor (or a bowl):

• 3/4 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)

Add:

• 6 tablespoons (3/4 of a stick) cold butter, cut into small 1/4 inch cubes

If using a food processor, pulse the mixture approximately 30 times until it resembles large crumbs with some larger pieces of butter interspersed. Cut or work the butter into the flour with a pastry blender or your fingertips if not using a processor. This should take 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in three quarters of the water and pulse a few times until the water is incorporated. Add the remaining bit of water and continue to pulse until the mixture begins to clump together. If the mixture doesn't clump together, you may need to add another tablespoon or two of water. Use a fork to stir the mixture if you don't have a food processor. 

Divide the dough into two equal pieces, roll each piece into a ball, and wrap each ball in plastic wrap. Flatten the ball into a disk using the palm of your hand. Let rest, refrigerated, for 1 hour or longer.

Once the dough has rested, remove from the refrigerator and unwrap. If the dough has been refrigerated for a long period of time, it may need to warm up a bit before rolling it out so allow it to sit out for about 20 minutes.

On a flat, cool surface, sprinkle some all-purpose flour to keep the dough from sticking to the surface. Dust your rolling pin with flour, too, if needed. Sprinkle some flour on top of the disk of dough and flatten out the disk a bit with the palm of your hand. Roll the dough out imagining that each roll of the pin is the spoke of a bicycle wheel. Rotate the dough a quarter turn and continue rolling out until about 1/8" thick (for an open tart), or slightly thicker for a pie or double-crusted tart. You can add more flour if needed, just be sure to remove the excess when you've finished rolling out the dough. Before filling, allow the rolled-out dough to rest in the refrigerator for another 10 minutes.

Onion Tart

Heat in a low-sided, heavy bottomed pan:

2 tablespoons light olive oil (or butter)
Add:

• 3 medium onions (about 1 pound), peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 thyme sprigs (or a light sprinkle of dried thyme)

Cook over medium/medium-low heat until soft, juicy and lightly browned. This will take from 20 to 30 minutes. Stir every few minutes to keep the onions at the bottom from darkening too much. Season with:

• Salt

Cook for a few additional minutes. Place them in a dish to cool them before placing them on the tart crust (or they will melt the butter in the crust before you get it in the oven). I spread mine in a thin layer on a plate for a faster cooling time. If the onions are juicy, place them in a strainer to drain off the excess liquid.

Roll out into a 7-8 inch disk:

• One 5 ounce disk of tart/pie dough (recipe above)

After rolling out the dough (see instructions above), gently brush off any excess flour with your hands or a clean kitchen towel and transfer the dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the pan with the dough circle in the refrigerator to allow the dough to firm up again for about 10 minutes. Spread the cooled onions over the dough (removing the thyme branches if you used fresh thyme sprigs), leaving a 1-1.5 inch border around the circumference of the dough. Fold the border up over the onions in any way you like. You can add some decorative fork tine marks if you like. For a shiny, more finished look, mix together and brush the folded dough rim with:

• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon milk or water

Bake the tart on the bottom rack of a preheated 375 degree oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown on the bottom. Slide the tart off the pan onto a rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature, by itself or accompanied with a green salad for a light, tasty meal. If you're really hungry this would serve one. If you're not ravenous, this could serve two.